15-days of paint & canvas to music

In self-preservation, I turned the news off and Pandora on.... Easy listening rules until C-19 takes a powder. Normally I would be at crossroads painting weekends with the SIP painters. Weird not to. I suppose all of us are in our studios Swimming-in-paint, streaming favorite TV shows while sipping margaritas.... 

I had some unfinished work to do on a 50x44 canvas started Crossroads on the 15th. After working on it most every day since I decided to share it on my blog as a short story of trial and error.

MAYMONT, MARCH REFLECTIONS 50x44 oil on linen 3/28/20

  

Story behind the painting

Sunday 3/22, a nice day, bright and shinny out. The light in my studio was very good, after 5-days things were looking good....

Canvas 1324-5, end of session 5 (3/19/20)

Adding a Sun Effect

Canvas 1324-6, end of session 6 (3/22/20)

Most of my Sunday was spent on background work, munching on cookies and caffeine. At the last minute I added a sun effect to my sky reflection before cleaning my brushes for the day. My favorite vegetation state is studying the overall painting in various light conditions while streaming British series "Silent Witness" on Amazon Prime. I'm looking for weakness and next day clues paintings give up. When something feels off or bothers me about a painting.... I pay attention because it will keep me up until I have a solution or do something about it. So, with a soft cotton rag dipped in mineral spirits  I went to work removing the sun effect and a few other things not happy with before sleep.

No point leaving something not working only to cover it up next session.... a simple rule that works well.

Wipe-out!

Canvas 1324-6, removed sun effect. To much of a good thing!

Mixing Station

Scarlet, a holy terror is a new addition to our family 6 or 7 months ago.  She is small standard between a miniature and standard poodle, a bit taller than Riley. Tall enough to get in counter height trouble.

Monday 3/23 (session 7)

A Good Day at the Easel

Canvas 1324-7, end of session 7 (3/23/20)

My previous night study told me to simplify the sky reflection and I did, and very happy with the result. The lower section of the sky was repainted. The tree reflections were reinstated. I painted over the trees when necessary to maintain cohesive colour movement in my sky effect. Off colour patch work  will standout if not exact. I am more than happy how canvas 1324 is progressing.

Somehow, I must form the illusion of a tree reflection cast over my yellow Koi. It is clearly floating above in detail (below)..... However, I very much like the movement in the detail below.

Waiting patiently for Play time....

Tuesday  3/24 (session 8)
 

Another Good Day

Canvas 1324-8, end of session 8 (3/24/20)

Most of my day was spent on the lower right corner (detail below). My challenge was merging the yellow Koi with my tree reflection on the water surface.... plus a new Koi fish! Again, I like the crop!

But I have an issue with area circled in red. At a distance some of the tree branch movement is off a bit. Notice the warm beige/mauve colour following the branches at the Koi head, it's off-colour, a dirty effect from the sky reflection surrounding the trees.

 A Bit on Compositional Flow

There was an additional issue, a movement thing joining up the yellow Koi with the top left Koi, and the new one at the bottom right. A movement, allows the eye to move seamlessly through a composition. Sometimes very subtle but there none the less.

Yesterday, I set it up when the tree branches were reinstated. I should say, add to what was already started. At a distance obvious. I follow it to the small gold shape lower left. The red-line illustration (below) shows the movements travel path.

Good At 30-Feet

When I'm at my desk breaking cookies and caffeine, it gives me an opportunity to view my work from quite a distance, perhaps one of the most important things to do while painting. Flaws in punctuation, colour and compositional movements tend to standout. Things may look good closeup and personal and fall apart at a distance.

Canvas 1324-8, studio shot from a distance, shows scale (3/24/20)

End-of-day, Scarlet & Riley's nap time.... or just waiting to play ball!

Wednesday  3/25 (session 9)

Trial & Error Bit!

This is where I wasn't reading the canvas right.... the unknown cropped its ugly head up and took a stand! I compounded an error not dealt with yesterday.... lower section water movement. Looking back I was working it out by drawing with a single colour trying to merge toward the gold leaf at bottom left.

Canvas 1324-9, end of day session 9 (3/25/20)

A long day at the easel. The yellow Koi was literally repainted.... perhaps a step backwards! Do you think? I wanted part of it out of the water. What can I say! It happens....

My effort to blur the reflection and continued my movement failed. The whole area looks messy and off colour the yellow Koi was modified again - not happy with result. This could end-up what I call a learning painting.

Timeout for tug-of-war.... poodles had to entertain themselves

Thursday  3/26 (session 10)

My painting plan edit anything out of sorts with me. I avoid over-painting, every brush-mark should count and add value to the total. I dislike failed marks showing through new paint applications, or worse the final work! The best way to avoid it, at the end of day remove it or carefully smooth out any texture. I do this at sessions end. 

Now I'm Concerned!

1324-10, end of day session 10 (3/26/20)

I followed my plan and spent the day careful bottom editing. Then blew it in the last hour fooling around with some movement rings. My reward, another failed session. The rings and areas around the yellow Koi were removed before bed. However, the water ring concept is promising if I can make it work!

Friday  3/27 (session 11)

Red "X" Time?

I believe every painting has a RED "X" moment and this one was no exception. If I could not resolve the lower left hand side the game would be over.... perhaps today!

Canvas 1324-11, end of session 11 (3/27/20)

Major changes to the yellow Koi (3/27/20)

I like the movement, the flow rendered in this detail crop

The overall movement culminates with a Koi touching the surface causing water rings

I stopped being careful and went for it.... nothing to lose at this point. I started by scraping my yellow Koi an worked my way down. And it happened very fast!

The lower half of my canvas came together after numerous failed attempts during the week.... This painting was so close to a RED "X" as anything I've done! Excited, I finally signed it! This is not the end of the story; a signature does not necessarily mean finished. Best to sleep on it and crow about it with fresh eyes in the morning!

The next morning, I spent another hour or so working on the water rings and added a white Koi.... I think it worked too!

There is a silver lining to failed sessions like I experienced with canvas 1324. If you recognized a failure and do something about it. It gives you another bite at the apple.... I don't mind a learning painting, as long as I take time to make sure it is not a failed one.!!

 SIPSwimming-in-Paint